Collection of Root and Shaw One Shot Stories
by InuGhost3.0
Summary: A collection of one shots that I'm going to be writing about these two. Feel free to give me ideas about future chapters.
1. Shaw's Prey

**A/N: What can I say, all too often in stories Root is usually the one to instigate things between her and Shaw. I figured hey why not write something where Shaw is the one who gets the party started. Note that this takes place during Season 3 before Root gets the cochlear implant.**

Root grabbed hold of the street lamp catching herself as she stumbled slightly on the wet sidewalk. Her work for the Machine had brought her back to New York briefly after being gone for a week and a half. She was still trying to get used to being deaf in her left ear and how it slightly threw off her center of balance.

It had been a rather shitty week and the hacker had decided that she needed to relax and enjoy herself for an evening. To that end she had made her way to her favorite bar and taken advantage of their 'Ladies drink free' Tuesday night promotion. She was fairly certain the bar owner might limit the number of free drinks in the future after Root put away four rather expensive ones within the three hours she had spent there.

She knew that she was intoxicated. Her vision was slightly disjointed and some objects appeared to be going at a faster or slower rate than was normal for them. That along with her stumbling walk had been more than enough of an indicator to Root that it would be in her best interest to walk the couple of blocks back to her apartment rather than risk driving and getting pulled over. Sure there was always the possibility of Carter being the one to catch her, but there was still only so much the woman could do for the team and letting an obviously drunk Root back on the road might be just beyond the limit of how much Carter was willing to bend the law.

As Root continued to stumble her way down the sidewalk the hacker was completely unaware that she was being followed. About twenty feet behind her Shaw walked with care. The former assassin intent on keeping her target in sight and oblivious to her presence. It had been sheer luck that she had decided to hit the bar. It had been a rough day. The number they had been given by the Machine had proven obstinate and uncooperative. Refusing to believe their life was in danger until bullets started flying. From there it had been a matter of getting them to stay undercover and away from danger when all the number wanted to do was go out and confront the threat themselves. Thankfully Shaw was carrying her stun gun at the time and managed to get them to calm down and stay quiet while John and Finch got the threat neutralized. But after all that Sameen needed a drink.

When she had stepped inside her eyes had automatically scanned the room for potential threats. Shaw had not expected to spot Root sitting at the bar seemingly unconcerned with everything going on around her as she polished off her third daiquiri. The temptation to go up to the other woman and join her for a drink had been there, but Sameen had instead opted to stay in the background and merely observe the hacker.

Not too long after she had gotten there Root had hit the restroom, then come back out paid off her tab and left. It had given the shorter plenty of time to plan and she waited with baited breath to see if the woman was truly heading back to her apartment.

Eventually after stumbling a couple more times and trying to sing one of her favorite songs, only to forget all the words except for the chorus Root finally reached her building. With an easy smile on her face she may her way up the short flight of stairs and nodded to the gentleman holding the door open for her. Normally she would take the stairs to reach her apartment on the second floor but even with her thinking impaired Root felt it would be safer for her to take the elevator.

This was proving more challenging than Sameen Shaw first anticipated. She had no trouble getting past the guy standing at the door. A sexy smile and a couple twenties had been more than enough for him to let her through. Once inside she saw no sign of the other woman. Annoyance flared inside her chest and threatened to dispel the thrill and arousal already coursing through her. Thinking on her feet Shaw went back to the doorman.

"Excuse me." She said with the most pleasant smile she could plaster onto her face.

Looking at the woman the doorman's eyes narrowed. "Are you alright lady? You look a little sick." The unnatural forced smile on Shaw's face appealing to the chivalry inside him.

'And this is why I don't smile much' Shaw thought as she relaxed back into her usual neutral expression. "My friend came in just ahead of me, and she didn't tell me what room she was in. Can you help me out?"

The man chuckled. "I see. Well if the two of you promise to keep it down…" he began with a knowing smile before lapsing into silence at the dark look the shorter woman was giving him "She's in room 209."

"Thank you." Shaw said before turning on her heel and disappearing up the stairwell.

'Not sure what Ms. Orchard sees in a woman that dangerous. Oh well at least the walls in this place are thick enough that I don't have to worry about the other tenants complaining about the racket.'

Reaching the second floor Shaw made her way down the long hallway making note of the room numbers as she passed by. Reaching the end of the hall she finally found room 209.

Root moaned quietly in anticipation as she finished getting undressed. The shower was heating up behind her and she had decided to take a moment to admire herself. She knew she was good looking. Her long sleek legs attracted the attention of many men and women and only emphasized her beauty when she wore skirts and dresses that showed them off.

Turning she examined her side profile. Reaching a hand down and back she ran a hand along her ass before giving it a light pinch. A quick burst of pleasure burst in her abdomen as she felt its firm ripeness. It was not overly large, but had given her some enjoyment when she had been on her hands and knees being taken from behind by the few men she had dated, and quite a few of the women she had spent a night with. She felt a minor ache from between her legs. She had not been properly fucked since she had first encountered the man Harold Finch when he interfered with her plot years ago. Briefly she toyed with the idea of going back to the bar and picking up the gorgeous brunette she had spied entering the bar shortly before she left. As her eyebrows furrowed together she tried to recall what the woman looked like. There had been something about her that had tried to catch her attention, but she'd been too drunk at the time to do any more than examine the woman's back as she was walking towards her table. It had looked slightly familiar, but no she simply chalked it up to déjà vu.

Reaching her hands up Root took hold of her breasts and lifted them up. She enjoyed the fact that they were no more than a handle full and unlike some women had little desire to see them enlarged. If anything it would only serve to throw the rest of her body out of proportion. Besides she saw little point in larger breasts. And the back problems they would bring her would interfere with her work for the Machine.

Letting go of her breasts her drunken mind took a moment to enjoy watching them sway back and forth as gravity took control of them once more. Then giving her mirror image a kiss she pulled open the sliding glass shower door and stepped inside.

Inside the spacious shower the hacker was unaware of anything happening outside the warm steamy room. Her one good ear could hear nothing but the sounds of the water and of her own pleasure as she fully embraced the warm water beating against her flesh. The water was at the perfect temperature and what had initially been planned to be a short shower was now looking to be a rather long and enjoyable one.

Dipping her head beneath the shower spray the hacker soaked her hair completely to ensure her body was completely wet. Once that was done she grabbed her bar of soap and began soaping up her body.

There was a quiet 'snick' as the lock opened. Putting her lock pick set away, one of Harold's few pieces of advice that she had chosen to listen to, Shaw opened the door as quietly as she could. When it gave a particularly loud squeak she winced and held the door partway open as she waited to see if Root had heard the noise. When there was no sign of movement in the apartment or sounds of the safety being taken off a gun Shaw felt it was safe to proceed. She finished getting the door opened and went inside closing the door behind her.

The former assassin's eyes instinctively scanned the apartment. It was surprisingly nice. There was no obvious signs of water damage or wear. The paint was not peeling off the walls and from what she could see there was no indications of any roach or rat infestations. Shaw gave a small snort of disgust and shook her head.

'Of course she manages to find one of the few nice apartments in this area. Must have been the Machine that set her up in this nice of a space. Kind of wish it would do the same for me sometime.' She thought as she stepped further into the room.

Sameen was currently in the living room and there was a small kitchen offshoot roughly ten feet from where she stood. A large TV rested on a wooden stand facing the table that still had a couple of dishes from Root's dinner sitting upon it. There was a plush carpet underfoot which helped muffle the sound of her footsteps as Sameen made her way through the room. Farther in she could see a small hallway that led to three rooms. One was completely dark and she could just make out a computer table against the far wall next to a window. Of the last two rooms both had shut doors. The light creeping out from underneath one along with the sound of running water left little doubt in the former assassin's mind of where her quarry could be found.

'Oh this is too good.' Eyes lighting up in mischief Shaw ran a hand along her lower face hiding her smile. 'Root my dear you make things way too easy for me sometimes.' Stealthy making her way to the bathroom door Shaw noticed a piece of dark blue fabric caught between the door and the door frame. This had served to keep the door from fully closing much to Sameen's benefit. Pushing the door open slightly she bent and picked up the discarded article of clothing.

'Hmm if did not know any better than I would swear Root was busy taking a shower.' She thought as she pocketed the woman's panties. Normally Shaw was not the kind of woman to steal another's underwear, but given how Root had made off with a couple of her things after their last night together the former assassin felt that it was only fair. 'I'll be sure to return them to her.' Shaw thought trying to ease the slight nagging of her conscious. 'Next time I see her probably. Well maybe. Ok probably not but it's not like she's going to miss them. Besides they might even fit me.' She justified.

With the clothing pocketed Sameen Shaw lowered herself to the floor, all the better to go unseen and peered into the room. Sadly the layout of the bathroom did not give her a clear view of the shower or its occupant. It did however give her an unobstructed view of the countertop and sink along with the mirror positioned above them that was set opposite to the shower. Licking her lips Shaw took in the enticing distorted view of the woman she cared about.

Root remained blissfully unaware of her audience, not that she would have cared about Shaw spying on her. Shaw had missed seeing the hacker soap up her lower torso but she was willing to settle for watching the woman soap up her bosom. The shower spray covered up Shaw's quiet groan as Root rubbed the soap all over her breasts and took a few seconds to squeeze her own flesh and pinch her nipples. The hacker could feel a warmth continuing to build between her legs that had nothing to do with the hot water.

Shaw bit her lower lip as she watched the taller woman rinse the soap suds off her gorgeous body. She knew that she could not wait much longer and thankfully if Root kept to her regular pattern then her moment of opportunity was fast approaching. Standing Shaw quickly divested herself of her clothes. The erotic show she had been witnessing along with the cool air of the apartment left her nipples fully erect. Licking her lips Shaw watched in anticipation as Root began shampooing her hair.

Mentally Root groused as she massaged her scalp trying to get the shampoo as deep into her hair as possible. She was close to running out of her favorite brand and had no time to go and pick up a new bottle. This left her using less shampoo to wash her hair then she normally preferred. Still she was able to get a good lather going and managed to spread it to all her locks including the ones plastered to her shoulder from the water.

Leaning back Root closed her eyes and stuck her head underneath the spray of water. She did not think about how it caused her breasts to stand out and draw attention. In her current situation Root could neither see nor hear anything. Thus she was blissfully unaware of the sound of the bathroom door opening fully or the soft sound of padded feet making their way across the tiled floor to the occupied shower. Even the sound metallic sound of the shower door being slid fully opened as someone else entered escaped the hacker's notice. The only warning that she had that someone else was in there with her was the blast of chill air that came rushing in from the brief time the door was opened. But by then it was far too late for her.

Her eyes flew open and she jerked back upright. With water in her eyes Root could only make out a blurry figure before the intruder had grabbed hold of her shoulder's and pushed her back under the shower spray and against the back wall. Now water was pouring onto Root's face and she was having a difficult time breathing let alone seeing who was attacking her. She was about to bring her leg up to kick the unwelcomed guest when she felt a pair of chilly female breasts with erect nipples press against her stomach. Root managed a sharp intake of breath before the woman's lips crashed against her own. There was a dull thump as Root's head impacted against the shower wall, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment. She moved to grab the woman's shoulders but missed on her first attempt. It was then that her still slightly intoxicated mind realized that whomever was in there with her was a good deal shorter than her. Still her mind reeled and she struggled to remain focused on figuring out the identity of the other woman before she gave into the desires of her own body. This was made more difficult as the woman managed to wedge a leg between Root's own and ground her knee against her sex.

The hacker's second attempt at getting a hold of the woman succeeded and she managed to shove her back against the opposite shower wall. An exclamation of surprise left the woman as Root followed her and pressed down on her throat with her left arm. With her right arm Root brushed the wet hair out of her face and took a good look at her opponent.

The confident smile of Sameen Shaw was the first thing she registered. The shock of finding the other woman attacking her in Root's own shower almost made her forget that they were both very much naked. Even impaired Root's mind quickly processed the situation and she came up with the most likely reason why the woman was in there with her and giving her that smile she reserved only for Root.

"Shaw." Root growled out as she grabbed hold of some of the woman's hair and pulled forcing her head back exposing the former assassin's throat to her gaze. Root gave the woman a quick passionate kiss before pulling back and mentally noting the groan that came from the other woman and the slight wet squeak that came as Shaw's ass rubbed against the slick shower wall. "What am I going to do with you?" She finally said trying to keep her expression set at displeased when all she wanted was to smile back at the woman and make her happy.

"Well you could always fuck me." Shaw replied back in her usual deadpan sarcasm voice.

"Oh I planned to do far more than that to you." Root said as her free hand snaked down Shaw's body and between the other woman's legs. Root easily inserted a finger into the woman's wet opening noting that Sameen must have been rather horny already for her to be this ready for her. "What I am not alright with is you deciding to invite yourself into my home and into my personal space without leaving me some hint or clue that you were going to do it first." She emphasized this by crooking her finger inside the other woman and rubbing against Shaw's G-spot.

Shaw's legs trembled and she groaned loudly as he thighs closed around Root's hand and finger keeping it lodged within her. "I…just thought it was…fair given you….did…the…same…last…time." She finally managed to get out between heavy breaths and moans of pleasure.

While Root's face remained neutral her eyes danced with mirth. She loved it when the other woman threw her own actions back at her. It was part of what made her fall in love with the former assassin in the first place. That and how she was constantly surprising her by taking her unaware far more often than Root would have believed without direct help from the Machine. "Very good point Lover. I'll have to remember to make the next time I drop by your place unannounced to make it especially good just so I can see how you'll pay me back. But that's for next time." She finished as she raked her fingers hard against the Shaw's insides causing the other woman's hips to buck hard against her hand and the former assassin's head to go banging against the back wall of the shower even as she screamed Root's name out in pleasure.

The two remained locked in an embrace inside the shower. They paid no mind to how long they were spending in there or the steadily dropping temperature of the water as the hot water began to run out. They were too focused on giving the other as much pleasure as possible and reacquainting themselves with the body of their lover. It was not till a twenty minutes later when the water turned ice cold that Root finally shut the water off.

Opening the shower door Root stepped out and the grabbed ahold of Shaw and yanked her out of the shower too. While the former assassin was reorienting herself Root had already knelt before her on the ground.

Knowing what was coming Shaw barely had time to brace herself against the countertop before Root's mouth latched onto her nether region. The hacker was sucking desperately at the shorter woman's pussy as intent of draining every drop of moisture out of her as though she was dying of thirst. Once she had drunk of some of Shaw's ambrosia essence Root's tongue snaked out and deep inside the other woman plundering her depths.

Shaw's legs and arms had given out on her by then and all her weight rested on her firm ass that now lay atop the counter top. Root's hands had spread her legs far apart and the former assassin found herself helpless to do anything to regain control of the situation. Her throat was beginning to become hoarse from her cries of passion and truly she would not have it any other way.

Once Root had her fill she allowed Sameen to regain her strength before allowing the woman to lead her to her own bedroom. There Root did not resist in the slightest as Shaw pushed her back against the mattress and settled between her legs. With her mouth and fingers Shaw pleasured the taller woman even as she used a free hand to spread her own lips wide and stroke her own sensitive womanhood.

In that room the two women showed each other how much they truly cared for one another with no fear of being judged by the Machine or by their own partners. The times when they could allow their true emotions to show were few and far between and they were both determined to enjoy this moment to the fullest. For once the new day started they would have to resume their roles as reluctant companions and bicker and mistrust each other to ensure that their relationship remained hidden. Lest Finch or the Machine try and not pair them together on missions in fear that they would put the life of their loved one before their mission to protect the irrelevant numbers.

**A/N: **Well I hope you enjoyed reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please let me know if I should continue this, and feel free to give me ideas for future chapters. One last thing I am planning on chapter three being about Shaw or Root being exposed to something that causes them to lose control of themselves and be somewhat hyper and all over the other woman. I just can't decide who should be affected, and who is stuck babysitting. So your guys' input would be really appreciated. Anyway thanks again for reading this.


	2. Marked

**A/N: **Somehow I can see Root doing this to Shaw if for no other reason than to push the woman's buttons and see what she would do in retaliation

Shaw's body felt unusually light yet heavy at the same time. Root walked beside her on Shaw's left side. Each woman had an arm draped over the other's shoulder both in friendship and for support as they drunkenly made their way down the street back to Root's apartment. The hacker's apartment was closest to the bar they had been drinking at and as such was the obvious answer when the two had chosen to leave the bar.

In truth they had to leave after Root dislocated the shoulder of a man that had made the mistake of openly hitting on the drunk Shaw in front of the woman. From there things had dissolved into chaos as the man's friend's tried to come to the aid of their friend. Shaw had seen it as an attack against a woman she considered a _close_ friend first and a fuck buddy on the nights when either lady felt lonely and needed bedside company. The fight had been over quick with only a few destroyed tables and neither woman was injured. Thankfully it was a bar they had never frequented before so after Shaw had tossed a few hundreds to the bar tender to cover the damages the two made their escape before the police were notified.

A shiver ran through the shorter woman from the slight chill in the night air. Instinctively she leaned closer to Root and a warm feeling went through her as Root's arm wrapped tighter around her trying to share as much of her body heat as possible.

Shaw felt her consciousness drifting and the next thing she knew Root was holding the door open for her. Stepping inside a sigh of pleasure came out of her as the heat of the apartment began to warm her chilled body.

"I know it is not much, but its home." The quiet voice of Root reminded the former assassin that she was not alone in the room.

Frankly Shaw knew as much about décor as she did fashion. It was bare bones décor much like Shaw's own apartment. There was a queen size bed taking up a corner by a window overlooking the street. There was obviously a bathroom behind a darkened doorway. Several blouses and coats hung in a closet next to an oaken dresser. The main feature in the room was a desktop computer equipped with three monitors. Even though the computer did not appear to be anything fancy Shaw instinctively knew it had to be top of the line and likely equipped to be one of the best that money could buy. In a way the apartment reminded her of hacker. There was a façade to it, well hidden, that made it appear to be an open book regarding its occupant. Yet Shaw knew all too well ever since her first encounter with Samantha Groves aka Root that the woman could put up any front she wanted in order to lure people into letting their guard down around her.

Her attention was drawn back to the other woman when she closed the door. Looking at Root Shaw felt arousal burn through her. She was not certain if it was her feelings for the woman or the alcohol in her system that had her pinning the taller woman against the door.

Shaw growled as she left Root's mouth and trailed a line of kisses down the woman's neck. Her teeth then sunk into the woman's shoulders. She was inwardly thankful that she was strong enough to keep the woman upright when Root's legs began to quiver from Shaw's ministrations.

The passionate moment was cut short when a queasy feeling roared through the former assassin. A quick moment of clarity hit her and Shaw pushed away from Root and rushed to the bathroom where her meal from early that evening graced the towel bowl.

She continued to cough and hack as the foul taste threatened to bring more stuff up from her stomach. At some point Root joined her in the bathroom and held Shaw's hair back as she continued to retch into the towel bowl. Eventually the retching came to an end and the former assassin allowed herself a moment to enjoy the feeling of Root rubbing her back in an effort to help the woman get through this bout of nausea.

"Ok you are going to bed." Root said forcefully.

Shaw did not protest or resist as the woman helped her to her feet and led her over to the bed. Still not feeling the best Shaw made no effort to resist as Root sat her down on the bed and began divesting the former assassin of her clothes. Left sitting in her underwear Shaw tiredly watched as Root went over to a dresser and pulled out a large T-shirt.

Once the shirt was on Shaw curled up in Root's bed and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

As the former assassin slept wheel turned in Root's mind. The attention the woman had received earlier from men and women had caused a spark of jealousy to flair up in Root. While Shaw had not flirted with any of the people that had hit on her Root still wished there was a way to let people know that Shaw was hers and to keep their hands and eyes off her. That was when her drunken mind had an idea. It would be so simple and easy to pull off. Especially with the woman sleeping.

Not once did Root stop to consider if what she was doing made any sense. Even the thought of what Shaw would do when she found out did not occur to Root in the slightest. It was over in a few minutes though and Root sat back pleased with herself. With that business taken care of she curled up beside the woman went to sleep.

The next morning when Shaw awoke she felt slightly awkward to wake up wearing one of Root's shirts and with her arms wrapped around the woman. She was used to waking up to the both of them naked making this somewhat uncharted territory for her. Getting up her foot collided with the pants and underwear she had worn last night. At that some of her memory of last night returned. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she recalled getting sick in front of the other woman. Not one of her proudest moments and inwardly she hoped that Root would not see her in such a vulnerable state anytime in the near future. Once Shaw was fully dressed she gently shook Root's shoulder till the other woman was awake. Her heart beat slightly faster as the hacker gave her a tired smile.

"Morning gorgeous." The woman said tiredly.

"Morning yourself." Shaw replied back allowing herself a rare smile. "I need to head off another number to take care of and whatnot." She made to go before stopping. "Sorry about last night. I'll make it up to you this weekend."

"I'll hold you to that." Root said before snuggling back under the covers and falling back asleep.

**LATER THAT DAY**

'Damn it. This is not how I wanted this day to go.' Shaw managed to dodge out of the way of the incoming knife thrust. What would have been certainly lethal managed to leave a nasty gash along her side and through one of her favorite shirts. The former assassin was forced back several more feet as she ignored the burning pain in her side and focused her attention on her would be assassin.

It has seemed like an easy job when Harold had first sent her the message about the new number. Some shy woman that simply had the misfortune of witnessing a rather brutal crime and obviously needed protection till the perpetrator was safely behind bars. Instead it turned out that she was a hired assassin hunting down a man in witness protection. So of course once Shaw found out the truth she couldn't just stand by idly and let the woman do her job.

She mentally cursed the fact that she had agreed to go out drinking with Root last night for two reasons. Firstly and while not the most important because the hangover was certainly impairing her ability to kick this woman's ass with the ease it would have normally taken her to deal with a rank amateur. Secondly and of far greater importance than her current life or death situation was because it had left her so utterly wasted that she couldn't even enjoy her stolen night with the woman.

She had plans for that night. Had gone to the painstaking trouble of actually buying flowers and a rather expensive brand of perfume, which Root liked, to give the woman as an apology gift. To make up for being forced to skip out early on their last night of passion due to some situation or another involving Reese. It was getting to the point where she did not even bother keeping track of all the times she had bailed him and Finch out of trouble.

For a brief moment Shaw took her eyes off the woman as she spied a potential weapon hidden behind a wooden crate. Sadly her brief distraction had given the woman an opening and she lunged at Shaw with a vicious smile just as the shorter woman went diving for the metal pipe. Shaw's dive once more kept her safe and she heard a quiet rip as the woman put a large tear in her jeans, right across the top of her buttocks, which went from one side of her hip to the other. When Shaw's hands closed around the pipe she rolled to keep her momentum going and put additional distance between her and the woman. This put too much strain on her jeans and with a loud tear they ripped displaying her bare backside to the world.

Now equipped with a weapon Shaw went on the offensive and the fight was soon over. She was not the least bit gentle about pulling the woman's hands behind her back. As she tightened the zip ties down her ear piece buzzed to life.

"Ms. Shaw." Harold's familiar fatherly voice came over the com line.

"I'm fine Harold thanks for asking." Sarcasm dripped from her voice as she drove her knee into the woman's back as she turned around to secure her feet.

"It's not that Ms. Shaw."

This time she picked up on the nervous undertone in his voice. Getting to her feet Shaw pressed on the ear piece so she could hear Finch's voice more clearly. "What's wrong?"

It-it appears that someone…has apparently marked you." Harold Finch finally managed to get out with a slight stutter.

A low chuckle could be heard in the background followed by "That's one way of putting it Finch."

"John can you please translate for Finch. He's not making much sense at the moment and I don't have the time to puzzle out his meaning." With a grunt of annoyance Shaw removed the shirt the woman had been wearing, without destroying it too badly, and wrapped it around her hips to cover her tear in her jeans.

"He means that you've got a tattoo on your ass Shaw. And by the sounds of it you weren't aware that it was there."

John's deep calm voice sent a rush of embarrassment throughout Shaw as she processed what the man had told her. She tuned out the minor squabbling that was going on over the earpiece as Finch berated John for being so blunt.

'When…how…WHAT THE HELL DID SHE DO!' With little thought to the consequences Shaw stole the assassin's purse and made her way to the vehicle she had driven the both of them here in. While the logical part of her brain argued for heading to whatever location was closest and had a mirror that she could use to find out what tattoo looked like her emotional side was dead set on heading back to her apartment, over thirty minutes away, to find out without having to worry about anyone else seeing it. In a rare case her emotional side won out and Shaw had the pedal to the metal as she broke all speed limits heading back to her abode.

By the time she had gotten inside Shaw had worked herself into a frenzy. Sure she had a number of scars all across her body, but she had drawn a line at tattoos and facial piercings. They just were not her thing. What possibly made things worse was the knowledge that Root might be behind the mark on her body and knowing the woman she was capable of just about anything.

Heading into her bathroom Shaw tore through the assassin's purse till she pulled out the woman's compact. Dropping the woman's shirt and her pants Shaw turned her backside to the mirror and used the compact to look at what the tattoo was.

"ROOT I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Far away from Shaw's apartment a sense of dread fell upon Root. For some reason she suddenly had the sense that her very life might be forfeit from her pissing off the wrong person.

Shaw's body nearly vibrated from the rage she was feeling. Neatly written in perfectly legible print on her right ass cheek was written 'Property of Samantha Groves' all put neatly in a little heart. The entire thing was written in black permanent marker.

She was going to get the woman back for this. Sameen's mind had already decided that if Root felt it was appropriate to do this to her, then she should have no problem with Shaw giving her a real one to mark the hacker as hers.

But that was for the future. For the time being Sameen had a date with the shower. Giving a sigh she hoped that the tattoo would wash off.

**One Week Later**

The tattoo that Root had given Shaw had mostly faded by now. The morning Shaw had discovered the marking she had spent an hour in the shower cleaning up and trying to rid herself of the mark to no success. That failure had made her all the more determined to see her revenge through to completion this night.

The two women had once more gone out to a bar to have a girl's night out. Shaw made sure that Root's glass was always full and had to hide her devious smirk several times by drinking her beer. After two hours both women were quite buzzed and Shaw had innocently suggested they head back to her place for a night cap. Shaw purposefully chose a route that led by a tattoo parlor and when it came into sight she had grabbed the hacker by the arm and dragged her inside.

The shorter woman could not remember what excuse she had made up to explain her interest in going inside. Thankfully Root had not questioned her at all. From there it had been all too easy to talk the woman into getting one.

The next thing Shaw knew she was clad only in a pair of lacy black boy shorts and being pushed back onto her bed by a naked Root. She hissed quietly as her rear made contact with the bed and assumed it was simply her muscles protesting the amount of work she had done the past week in her mission to save as many numbers as possible.

As Root nibbled on her pulse point Shaw's hands found their way to the woman's hips. From there she raked her nails down the woman's body till she had a firm grip on Root's ass with both hands. Beneath her left hand she felt the tell texture of gauze and she smiled knowing that her mission had been a success.

A squeak of surprise came out of Root as she was pulled forward by Shaw who had lain back fully on the bed and covered her own face with Root's womanhood. Then the hacker began moaning loudly as the former assassin began to lick and nibble at her folds. Her drunken mind knew that the beauty beneath her was simply teasing her, but at the moment Root did not care. She was quite content to let the other woman do all the work tonight.

**The Next Morning**

As the sun began peaking over the horizon there was a loud crash from Shaw's apartment. The blankets were wrapped as tightly around the two woman as they were to each other. At the moment Root was on top and she was trying ineffectively to bash her lover's head in with a pillow.

"I can't believe you actually did that Sam! How could you convince me to get that tattooed on my ass!"

Shaw was laughing, for one of the rare moments in her laugh she was actually laughing, at the absurdity of the situation. She knew fate could be a fickle mistress at times, but apparently it also had a nasty sense of humor. She had succeeded in convincing Root to get a gun tattooed on the left side of her ass with 'Property of Sameen Shaw' neatly stenciled in bold capital letters along the gun's holster. What she had not planned for, and the reason for why she was laughing, was for she herself to end up with one.

Root had been the one to discover that Shaw had been inked when the two had shared a shower that morning. It had prompted Shaw to hope out and to check her bathroom mirror. Once more on the right side of her ass was neatly written the words "Property of Samantha 'Root' Groves" spelled out in black and red ink with the monitor of a computer acting as a background.

"Root!" Shaw managed to finally get out between her laughing fits and her lame attempts to stop Root's pillow assault.

The woman paused in her battery and looked down at the shorter woman wearing a mischievous smile.

"We are so not telling John and Harold about this."

The woman's words brought home the reality of the situation to Root and she found herself laughing alongside the woman before leaning down and giving her a deep kiss.

"That is a promise I'm willing to keep. Though next time you want me to get inked. Just ask as opposed to getting me drunk, cause as nice as it is, I would have preferred remembering the experience.

Shaw simply nodded and smiled as she kissed Root once more.


	3. The Things I do for you

Summary: Set sometime during season 3. Root rescues Shaw who had been captured and drugged by HR. Now she had to keep an eye on the woman who is acting stranger than normal.

**A/N: Well here it is. Chapter three. I want to thank the people that took the time to review and gave their input on whether it should be Root or Shaw that was affected. In the end I decided to go with Shaw. Though don't worry, Root will have her chance to drive Shaw crazy in a later chapter. Anyway please enjoy this and let me know what you thought. Also check out the note at the end of this chapter because I'll be needing the help of you readers once again.**

She turned and fired off two more shots in the directions relayed to her via her Cochlear implant. The grunts of pain were all the indication that Root needed to know she'd taken down at least two more of the corrupt police officers. She allowed herself a small smile as she shifted the dead weight she was being forced to carry back into a more comfortable position.

"You're lucky I like you Sam. Otherwise I would have left it to John to handle getting you out of there." With a slightly tired groan Root began walking once more. Her right arm was wrapped tight around the drugged Shaw's waist while her left arm made sure the woman's arm remained wrapped around her shoulders.

It was almost 2 A.M. Root had been fast asleep when the insensate beeping of The Machine had finally dragged her back into the waking world. Once she had been conscious enough She had relayed a quick series of instructions that relayed the situation to Root. Somehow HR had captured Shaw and had her tied up in an abandoned building. She only had a limited amount of time before they either killed the former assassin or found a way to extract all the secrets from her.

Root had thrown a jacket on over the pajama pants and t-shirt she wore and headed out into the slight chilly and damp fall air. The hacker, with the help of The Machine, had no trouble getting hold of a vehicle. It had been difficult for her to maintain a legal speed when all she wanted to do was hurry up and get to the other woman as quickly as possible. It took her nearly half an hour but finally she reached the building where Shaw was being kept.

With help from The Machine Root had encountered little difficulty in reaching the woman. Unfortunately her help had come a little too late and whatever cocktail of drugs they had given the shorter woman were obviously affecting her.

Shaw's head hung limp and barely moved when the two men guarding her had fallen to the ground unconscious thanks to Root's Taser. It was not until the handcuffs restraining her had been undone that she finally stirred and looked up at the taller woman.

It took far longer than normal for Shaw's eyes to focus and for the woman to recognize Root. Once she did she gave her what could only be described as a 'drunken grin', if Shaw was even capable of getting drunk that is.

"Rootbear?" Shaw had slurred out as she placed her hands on the armrests of her chair and tried to stand. She managed to get to her feet before pitching forward and would have fallen to the floor beside her captors had Root not caught her.

"Don't call me that." She had said as she grabbed hold of the shorter woman, which had not been easy given the disparity between their heights, and began helping her out of the room.

"Why not?" Shaw had whined like a little child used to getting her way. "You are like a big fluffy teddy bear. You look all dangerous and vicious on the outside when inside your all soft and cuddly." She emphasized her point by giving Root a one arm hug that was not very effective given her mental state.

"What did they hit you with? You've never been this loopy as long as I've known you." Root muttered mostly to herself.

"Hmm I don't know. My head feels kind of foggy though, but otherwise I feel good. Well maybe not as good as you." Shaw giggled as her right hand snaked its way to Root's stomach and attempted to slither beneath the taller woman's shirt.

She rolled her eyes at that. 'Figures I can't get an actual reaction out of her when I actually flirt with her. But get her drugged up and suddenly the woman is all over me. Why couldn't have happened on a night when I actually would have wanted to consummate our relationship?' Her mental grousing done Root drew her gun from her holster as she half carried half dragged Shaw towards the exit.

Given Shaw's state it took them slightly longer to get out of the building. Thankfully The Machine directed them away from any danger before it got too close. Following Her instructions Root headed down towards a subway entrance that had a plastic line of tape stretched across it with 'Closed due to temporary electrical issues'.

Root's white teeth sparkled in the light of the streetlamp. Leave it to Her to make sure they had a way out that likely would not be followed. Ducking beneath the tape the two women made their way down the deserted platform. Shaw had been silent for a long while and was apparently sleeping, but was still lightweight enough to not prove too cumbersome to Root.

Passing through the open doors of the empty subway Root was not the least bit surprised as there was a quiet hiss and they closed silently behind the two women. With the train empty she laid Shaw down on a stretch of three seats so the woman would be comfortable as the subway departed from the station.

Relaxing back against a seat, located next to Shaw's head, the hacker holstered her weapon since she figured there would be no threats for the rest of the evening. The Machine was silent in Root's ear and the woman was intent on enjoying the quiet moment while it lasted. It would take a while for them to reach Root's apartment. She thought Shaw's apartment would be safe but felt it best to not take any chances in the event that HR had actually gotten useful information from her.

Her head rested against the cool glass of the train window. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and cleared her mind. The past hectic hour had drained a lot of energy from her and she was rather glad for the break and the quiet. Against her right leg she could feel the shorter woman stir for a moment and then go still. She thought nothing about it until she felt a cold hand lay on her upper thigh. The woman's long fingers curled around the inside of her thigh and lightly stroked her flesh through the flannel fabric of her pajama bottoms.

A loud cry of surprise left Root as she jerked away from the other woman's touch. Moving out of her reach she looked down at Shaw.

Shaw's hair was a tousled mess. It looked like it had once been in a neat ponytail but had part of it pulled out but not all. Her normally straight hair was in a mess of curls and waves that looked like it would wreak havoc on a brush. Her normally dark eyes looked like melted dark chocolate and there was a haze or veil that seemed to cover it. Her lips were parted in a smile and the woman was breathing rather heavily as she looked at the hacker. As Root watched Shaw's tongue flicked out and licked at her lips in a movement that would not have been out of place in a porno.

Root gulped nervously as she tried to back farther away from the woman. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She managed to get out without her voice sounding too shaky.

Shaw's hands were now gripped onto an armrest as she raised her upper body. There was a seductive look in her eyes and her movements were slow and purposeful. She gave a deep lusty moan as she arched her back in an attempt to draw Root's eyes to her chest. "I want you." Shaw said simply. Her voice was slightly deeper than normal and she spoke in a low voice that Root had to strain to hear. Now on her hands and knees Shaw almost seemed like a wild animal preparing to pounce on its prey.

This was well beyond Root's comfort zone. She had no trouble pushing boundaries with people. Hell she enjoyed flirting with almost everyone since it was a good way to get a read on people and gave her a slight advantage in her dealings with them. In truth while she came off as a flirt Root had absolutely no experience sexually. She had dived head-first into computer when she became a teenager and had as little involvement with her other people as she could get away with in this day and age. When it came to Shaw she flirted a little harder than she did with others if only because the woman was still a mystery to her, and maybe a little because she liked her. And while she had thought that someday she and Shaw might actually be a couple, this was not how or when she planned for their relationship to go to the next level.

As Root backed further away Shaw continued to advance. The shorter woman was now standing steadily on her feet. Curiosity getting the best of her Root's eyes darted down and stopped at the erect nipples pushing out against the fabric of Shaw's tank top. She took a shaky breath as her eyes darted back up to Shaw's eyes. Judging from the look in the shorter women's eyes she was well aware of where her eyes had lingered.

"Shaw you are not yourself. You are obviously still affected by whatever they gave you. Remember it is me Root. The woman you want to shoot half the other time?"

"Only half the time, the other half I want to just rip your clothes off and make you yell my name until you are horse."

Shaw stood about five feet away from Root, who had her back pressed against the locked door leading to the next car. As the taller woman watched Shaw's hands drifted down to the waistband of the black jeans she wore. Then her hand deftly dipped into one of her pockets and extracted a cylindrical device. "I am particularly glad I managed to snag this from my gun bag before they grabbed me. Mostly because I would be rather sad if I lost it."

Root's face went red when Shaw held it up for her to see. It was a small silver and black vibrator. It had a sleek elegant design and was no larger than the palm of her hand. As she watched Shaw turned the device on and let it trace a line down between her breasts and down her taunt abdomen. A small bundle of heat began to build in her lower abdomen at the scene before her.

"I call it 'Root' since it is such a delicious tease. She has helped me from growing too bored when I've been stuck on long solo missions and stakeouts." With her free right hand she undid the button on her jeans at the same time as the vibrator reached the waistband. The device then traveled down lower still blazing a trail along Shaw's body at the same time it undid the zipper on the jeans.

Root was surprised that the jeans remained on Shaw despite having the zipper and button undone. She could not force herself to look away even when she heard a loud shaky gasp from Shaw. Root knew why the woman had made the noise. Her hand was now firmly between her legs and the distinctive back and forth movement left little doubt to the actions taking place out of sight.

Unintentionally Root's own hands had begun a similar journey down her body and it was not till her cool fingers touched her stomach that the hacker jerked her hand away as if she was burned. Taking a shaky breath Root composed herself and renewed her resolve.

"Shaw stop this. You are not acting like yourself. And tempting sight as you might be, I'm not about to take advantage of you."

"Hmmmm." Shaw moaned briefly before pulling her hand free from her jeans. "Very well then Rootbear." She said simply as the subway train came to a stop. The doors opened and she made her way to the exit. Just before stepping out she turned once more to the hacker and gave her a wicked grin. "You should know though, that it was a rather bad batch of drugs. Not nearly as effective as they wanted. So I might be slightly impaired, but I know damn well what I'm doing." She gave her a saucy wink before stepping out and the doors closed behind her.

Once the train left the station Root found her way to a seat and let out a breath she had unknowingly been holding. 'Damn that woman. She's more of a tempting vixen then I thought.'

**A/N: Sorry about the poor quality of this chapter guys. For some reason it just was not coming together as well as I would have liked. I might come back at a later point and rewrite this so it is better. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this. Anyway like I said earlier I'd like the readers help on something. I have quite a few ideas for future chapters, but I don't know what one to do next. So I am going to leave it up to you the readers/reviewers. Each chapter there will be three random story ideas to choose from. (Don't worry if yours is not chosen, cause it will probably come back up at a later point) So let me know which ones you want and give me a good reason/argument for your choice will help. Your choices are:**

**The team's number is a dance instructor. Mr. Reese is able to act as her dance partner/assistant during her instructional classes but Root and Shaw, who are acting as backup, are stuck as dance partners. Bickering on who will lead ensues and things get heated during more intense numbers like the Tango.**

**Somehow Mr. Reese convinces Finch, Root and Shaw to go on a group camping trip. While he and Finch go and get food supplies Root and Shaw are busy setting up camp. Just when the guys get back to town a nasty storm hits and the men are stuck in town leaving Root and Shaw alone at the campsite till the storm ends.**

**Shaw has a nightmare about Root dying and becomes overprotective as a result. **


	4. Of Bad Dreams

_**Sameen Shaw's heart pounded as she raced down the sparsely lit corridor. Her chest hurt from the increased oxygen deprivation from running for so long. The fatigue in her legs sent jolts of pain shooting up her nervous system and it took a concentrated effort to ignore the signs that she was quickly reaching her limit. Thanks to her years of medical study Shaw knew that she would probably collapse before she left the building even if she were to try and walk if she did not get some rest first. But her safety was secondary at the moment. **_

'_**Stupid woman. You should have at least waited for backup before going inside.' She was uncertain if her mental tirade was aimed at herself or the person she had come inside to save. **_

_**The minute Shaw had received the address for one of Decima's holding she had set out to rescue the hacker. She understood why Root had done it, they could not let Samaritan come online or else everything they had worked for, everything they had sacrificed for would be undone in an instant. Thoughts of what she might find, fears of being too late were dealt with as harshly as the Decima agents who'd made the mistake of getting in her way. **_

_**The former assassin had fallen back on her military training and had executed anyone who had stood in her way as quickly and efficiently as possible. It had long been decided that she would concern herself with Finch's disapproving looks and John's quiet silence after everything was said and done.**_

_**The sound of her running feet echoed ominously off the corridor walls. The rust stains doing little to dampen the sound. It was almost a minor miracle that the building was still standing and this well intact given the years of neglect atop the structural damage that had rendered the building condemned. **_

_**Finally the end of the corridor was in sight. The simple wooden door marked 'Information Retrieval' being the only indicator that she was on the right path. **_

_**Shaw did not slow down for a moment. When she was only a few feet from the door she turned and slammed her shoulder into the rotting wooden frame. The door splintered from the impact and flew open, the unengaged lock doing nothing to hold it closed. Her weapon was already drawn and sweeping the room for enemies even as she frantically scanned for Root. Then her eyes settled on the simple metal folding chair set up in the middle of the room. **_

_**Its frame was more reddish brown then gray with flecks of metal littering it and the floor. The back right leg had snapped off completely and been replaced with a simple two-by-four that kept the chair upright and prevented it from falling over.**_

_**The figure in the chair was motionless. Her head hung limp and a trickle of blood flowed from an open wound. Her chocolate brown eyes, usually full of mirth and cleverness, were glassy and blank. Devoid of life and emotion they still seemed to burn into Shaw's soul with accusation as if it was the former assassin's fault for her fate. The bullet wound in her temple only appeared to add to the grim décor of the room. **_

_** Shaw's fingers felt numb and her weapon clattered noisily to the floor closely followed by the emotionless woman's knees. A feeling of despair welled up in her. She cried out in a mixture of pain and rage as she slammed her fists down onto the floor. Hot tears flowed freely onto the floor as she continued to wail from the pain of having a part of her, which she had not even known was missing, was now ripped permanently from her. **_

_** She did not hear the footsteps approaching so caught up in her sorrow. Shaw did feel the press of cold metal against the back of her head. Biting back her pain she turned and looked at the blond woman with hate in her eyes. "Well what are you fucking waiting for Bitch?! ARE YOU GOING TO PULL THE FUCKING TRIGGER OR DO I HAVE TO DO IT FOR YOU!?" **_

_** The woman gave no indication that she cared about what the broken woman said. She simply breathed in slowly and pulled the trigger.**_

__The bed sheets were damp and clammy over her bare form. Raising her body up Shaw switched on the bedside light and slumped back onto her pillow. She lay there for a second before growling and sitting up and throwing it across the room. It impacted against the wall with a wet **FWUMP** before falling to the floor.

Falling back onto the uncomfortable mattress Shaw placed an arm over her eyes. The dream that had awakened her was already fading fast but it still was seared into her memory. Especially the emotional memory of what she had seen in that room. It was something that she was not particularly comfortable admitting to herself.

As much as it loathed Shaw to admit it she knew quite well why her nightmare had featured Root's death. The woman had a way of attaching herself to people's lives without them noticing until it was too late. Considering how the hacker had managed to even befriend a lone wolf like her spoke volumes about the woman's inherent talent.

It had started off simple like most things do with idle chatter while they were waiting for information from Finch. From there one of them would sometimes bring the other coffee when they were teamed up for some assignment or another. Then it had somehow turned into meeting at a bar for a drink after a particularly troublesome number. Shaw could still remember how they had knocked back shot after shot matching each other in some pointless contest. Sameen had won the drinking contest, but when the two woke up in bed together the next morning it felt at the time that Root had been the true victor.

With a grumbling groan she fell out of bed to the floor catching herself and beginning her usual exercise routine starting with pushups. The chill of the night air raised goose bumps along her entire body and felt oddly pleasant against her wet skin.

Normally Shaw would not bother herself with getting up this early, but after that nightmare it would be difficult for her to calm her mind down enough to fall back to sleep. Her exercise routine was designed to work her entire body and help keep her in shape with the added bonus of clearing her mind of anything that was troubling her. An hour later she began her exercise routine again angry that her mind was more worked up than before.

The image of Root dead in that chair continued to haunt her. Inadvertently her mind cast back to roughly two months ago when she had rescued the hacker from the woman calling herself Control. For several hours it had been touch and go trying to keep the woman alive long enough for her heart rate to slow down enough for Shaw to adequately treat Root's wounds. It had scared her seeing someone she cared about in that bad of shape and being almost helpless to do anything. The hour she had spent sitting beside Root while the woman attempted to slumber had been agonizing. The whole while she had desperately wanted to give her something for the pain or to simply help her relax yet the medic stubbornly refused to let that happen.

The roller coaster ride that Control had put Root through had taken a heavy toll on her body and the part of her not ruled by emotions knew that giving the hacker anything more could kill her as it would help her. Sure both women had put on brave faces and joked about it later. But it was the cold distant type of humor usually shared by ex soldiers and law enforcement officers who had seen just a bit too much of the dark side of humanity.

The nightmare had brought that all roaring back to the forefront and as Shaw rolled over onto her back and began her customary four sets of twenty-five crunches she silently vowed to herself that the woman she cared about would not be in that kind of danger ever again.

**5 Days Later**

"I don't know what has gotten into you Sam. I've known you to be reckless in the past, but reckless and stupid. That's a whole new level for you. Course maybe your just being stupid." Root grumped as she jammed the needle deep into Shaw's arm.

The fair haired brunette continued muttering to herself as she stitched up the latest bullet wound in the shoulder of her erstwhile companion. Thankfully it had been a through and through but it had still been enough to drop the former assassin.

Shaw said something but it came out as unintelligible gibberish leaving Root uncertain if the tanned beauty was simply talking in her sleep or actually beginning to come out of her drug induced coma. Her eyes continued to move rapidly beneath their lids and with a quiet wordless grumble the woman became still once more.

Root had been puzzled by the actions of her sometimes lover over the past week. She knew the woman could be temperamental and outright anti-social on a good day. Yet it was almost like she was trying to protect Root. At one point Root had walked in on Shaw actually yelling at Harold and John about sending her undercover to keep an eye on their latest number. Saying that they shouldn't risk someone on an assignment when they did not know if the person was going to be a victim or a perpetrator.

She had actually turned around and left deciding it was better to be elsewhere till cooler heads prevailed. In the end Root had not been barred from doing her job trying to protect the numbers, but she had found herself with an unlikely chaperone. At odd moments she would get the sense she was being watched or receive a message from the machine warning her about someone stalking her. The few times she had managed to lose the tail she had been surprised to discover that it had been Sam following her. As a result Shaw had become a sort of unofficial backup for her. At first it was somewhat comforting to the hacker to know that someone had her back. But then it began to become tiresome.

After the first couple of days Root felt like Shaw was acting more like a babysitter than anything else. Treating her like a child or priceless and fragile item that would shatter from the lightest impact. She had finally confronted the woman about it. The heated argument that had followed had drawn more attention than either had desired.

They had managed to disappear from sight before the dispatched patrol car had come to a full stop. It had been tense for a few minutes as the officers searched for them. Either to make sure the lover's spat wouldn't turn into a homicide, or some of the few members of HR hunting for the people trying to put them permanently out of business.

She had thought the matter settled at the time till today. Someone had come gunning for the number, whom Root was busing protecting, and had managed to pin her down. She had been trying to concentrate on what the Machine was saying in order to formulate a plan of attack, but it had proven unnecessary. Shaw had come in guns blazing and had grabbed hold of Root and the number trying to pull them out of harms way. That had been when the bullet struck her left shoulder causing it to go numb and her weapon to drop. Though Shaw had still been determined to fight and protect Root and had put herself between the shooters and the hacker. Were it not for the Machine's warning of "Drop her." She would have caught one between the eyes as opposed to it simply grazing her scalp.

The memory of downing the former assassin a second time with her taser brought a sad smile to her face as she finished patching up Sam's wound.

"There that should keep you alive and kicking for the time being." She said with mock cheerfulness. Packing up the first aid kit Root leaned down and planted a chaste kiss on Shaw's cheek. "Maybe after you've healed we can grab a drink." Getting up to leave Root stopped when Shaw mumbled something.

"Don't die Root. I still need you."

It was barely above a whisper and it took the Machine playing it back for Root to fully understand what the dreaming woman said.

There were a few tears in her eyes and Root took a deep breath to try and squelch the warmth growing in her chest at the woman's admission. She then set the first aid kit back down and sat back in her chair and took hold of Shaw's hand.

"Don't worry Sam you'll never be truly rid of me. I'll stay around though for a bit longer just for you."

**A/N: Well that is it for the moment. Please leave me a comment letting me know what you thought and what I can do to improve future stories and chapters for your enjoyment. As always feel free to give me ideas and who knows they might end up as chapters like this one did. Thanks again for reading.**

** Here are the choices for next chapter.**

**Shaw has let Root talk her into going clothes shopping. Bound and determined to endure this torture Shaw does not like the smirk Root has and is certain the woman has something planned for this day of relaxation.**

**Root manages to contract a nasty cold and is now stuck with Shaw taking care of her.**

**It Halloween. You know what that means. Candy, parties, and costumes and Root and Shaw stuck crashing a party in costume all in the name of protecting the latest number. **


	5. Sick Day

**A/N: ** Sorry for the delay in posting this. I was on vacation all last week and managed to come down with a cold which wasn't too helpful in keeping up with the urge to write.

The living room floor was littered with used tissues. Samantha Groves aka Root was lying prone on the couch with an arm slung tiredly over her eyes. Her usually immaculate hair was a tangled bird's nest. It was the kind of hairstyle only pulled off by those who had spent a night or two tossing and turning in bed in a desperate attempt to get some much needed sleep. A fit of coughing wracked her body and she bolted upright from the bed and raced to the bathroom where she was once again violently ill.

Sameen Shaw did her best to ignore the sound of Root throwing up what little food remained in her stomach. She remained seated on the couch in the nest room and continued to idly flip through the channels on the television trying to find something of interest. She knew it was pointless, she'd already flipped through the whole thing twice and had found nothing but the usual annoying daytime television and holiday specials that were being run constantly on every station.

She had come to check up on Root after the woman had been a no show at the Library yesterday. While that was not entirely unusual Shaw had just had a feeling that something was not entirely right. So without letting Finch or John know she had decided to check up on the woman. While she did have skills when it came to tracking people down, as evidence when she successfully tailed Harold Finch to his little hideaway, Root proved to be much more obstinate in remaining hidden. It was not till she had received a text from an unknown number that she had been given a starting point for her hunt.

Still it had only been the first breadcrumb and had led her to another followed by another. It had taken her the better part of the morning, but finally she had tracked down the woman's apartment. It had felt odd knocking on Root's door especially when she wasn't entirely certain that she had the right location. She'd felt a fool when she'd stood outside the closed door for three minutes without an indication that anyone was home. Shaw had been debating on whether or not she should break in when there was the telltale sound of a bolt being drawn. That had been followed by the door opening a crack.

A pair of tired bloodshot eyes gazed out at her through the small crack. There was a weariness to them that Shaw had not seen before, but she had still recognized Root's familiar gaze.

"What…how did you get here?" The woman managed to croak out in a voice that was eerily similar to Shaw's Drill sergeant on the fifth day of yelling himself hoarse.

Shaw had said nothing and had settled for giving Root her usual serious look.

A wordless war of wills had played out between them before a sneezing fit had broken Root's concentration. She had wiped her nose on the sleeve of the bathrobe she wore, inadvertently giving Shaw a brief glimpse of bare skin that hinted at the hacker wearing nothing beneath it. Finished wiping her nose the taller woman gave Shaw a defeated look and had closed the door and undid the small chain that did little to keep her safe.

Sameen did not wait for Root to re-open the door. She simply turned the knob and barged her way inside. Root could do nothing as Shaw pinned her to the wall with one hand. Her other hand was occupied with the woman's forehead and she felt a small sense of relief when she detected only a minor fever. "How long?"

"It started the night before yesterday. Minute I got undressed I couldn't stop shivering. I crawled into bed and spent a good hour huddled up in the fetal position since I shivered so violently whenever I tried to lay out. When I woke up my nose was stuffed up and my stomach felt like it was at war with me. Couldn't keep anything down at all yesterday, and I doubt I can today."

While Shaw really only experienced emotions at a more muted volume than most people she still felt a pang of sympathy for the hacker. The woman's voice alone belied her feeble state. At that moment Shaw knew how hard it had to be for the hacker. She herself would almost rather die than allow anyone to see her in that kind of state. The knowledge that Root was at least willing to share this side of her with the former assassin spoke volumes.

She removed her hand from Root's chest and moved further into the room. She was not surprised when the other woman said nothing and meekly allowed her unrestricted access. Shaw's first destination was the kitchen and she began ransacking the cabinets to see what Root's food supply was like. The hacker had a decent collection of fruits, vegetables and canned soups but she was sadly lacking on any real protein. There was a quite snuffling, as Root attempted to breathe through her nose, before she turned and shakily made her way back to her bedroom.

It took roughly a half hour, mainly since Shaw had little experience cooking for someone other than herself, but she managed to put together a soup that was composed of several vegetables and made from Chicken stock. Setting it on the tray with a glass of water and some crackers she quietly made her way into Root's bedroom.

A single light was on in the bathroom. An assortment of tissues, towels and discarded clothes littered the floor of the room. Further evidence of their owner's illness since the rest of the room was quite tidy. Root appeared to be resting and was huddled beneath a single sheet that was wrapped around her torso like a child's blanket. At a glance Shaw could see it was damp with sweat and likely provided little warmth for the woman. It was also doing little to actually cover the woman, but Shaw refused to let her eyes linger on the sick woman's form. Normally she'd have little hesitation in actually taking advantage of the situation, but her concern for Root's wellbeing trumped her more base desires.

She set the soup down on a nearby dresser, left the room and pulled the door closed behind her. That was roughly two hours ago and she was sorely tempted to check up on the sick hacker. Each violent cough and sneeze sent a pang of pain to her heart. She felt utterly helpless at the fact she could do little to help the other woman.

There was a sound of a toilet flushing and then the quiet hum of an electric toothbrush. Shaw was becoming familiar with Root's routine. The woman always brushed after each time she was physically sick. Likely she could not stand the foul taste in her mouth despite the dulled sense of taste.

Once more there was silence from the bedroom and Shaw turned her attention back to the television. She finally found something semi interesting. Some show dealing with a group of people trying to stop cataclysmic events triggered by magic. It was somewhat amusing and she could not help but smile at the irony of the character's base of operations being run out of a library. Apparently the network was running a marathon and she made herself comfortable on the couch and settled in to watch.

It was several hours later when Shaw finally stirred. Woken by a clammy hand on her shoulder. Snapping instantly awake she grabbed hold of the hand and directed her attention to its owner.

Root's face was a pale white and yet there was a ghost of a smile on her lips. Though her eyes were tired there was a small fire of amusement dancing behind them as managing to catch Shaw unaware.

"Are you feeling any better?" Shaw asked quietly her attention focused solely on Root's face, and not on the pale flesh that was visible from the moonlight spilling in through the window.

"A little. I think the worst of it is over. Though I'm still rather weak. Do you think you can help me change the sheets on my bed? I'd rather sleep on fresh clean sheets as opposed to ones saturated with my illness." There was a slight pleading look in her eyes that caused Shaw's heart to pause for a moment before resuming beating at a frantic pace.

Sameen said nothing and simply nodded. Sitting up she left the couch and followed Root to the hall closet. Getting the sheets down she followed the taller woman into her bedroom. Shaw did most of the work, since Root was still rather weak. The food that Shaw had prepared early had bene eaten a couple hours previously and managed to be kept down. Once the bed was made Shaw turned to head back to the couch to spend the rest of the night when she was stopped by Root's quiet voice.

"I don't think I'm infectious anymore. If you want…we can share the bed. It's more comfortable than the couch."

Her mouth curved slightly at the corners and she turned to Root. "You are probably right. Better to keep a close eye on my patient than to be a room away."

Root climbed beneath the covers and looked on as Shaw undressed and climbed in beside her equally naked. Turning on her side Root allowed the other woman to cuddle her and felt her body instantly relax in the shorter woman's embrace.

**2 Days Later**

"ACHOO!" Shaw sneezed violently into the Kleenex. Blowing her nose she only managed to get a small amount of mucus out of her stuffed up nose.

"You really should take better care of yourself Sam." Root's singsong voice came from the open bedroom door. "I can't always drop everything to come and play nursemaid when you catch a simple little cold."

The hacker giggled at the attempted glare the shorter sick woman shot her. Its effect dramatically lessened by her runny nose and the pink nightgown she wore. The nightgown borrowed from Root and apparently the only thing the hacker had that might fit the other woman. Shaw did not believe her for an instant but had reluctantly took the offered clothing.

"Oh shut up." She grumbled as she tossed the used Kleenex into a nearby wastebasket before turning her attention back to the hacker. "Do I even need to ask how you managed to find my apartment, or why you chose to break in?"

Root grinned as she shut the door. "Well I figured since you were sick you could use a little company. And seeing how you took care of me, and aren't nearly as sick as I was, I thought it was the least I could do to help make you feel better." Her hands dropped down to fiddle with the belt holding closed the coat she wore. "While I might not have your medical experience…" She began before opening the coat "…I do know a thing or two about making you feel good."

Shaw's mouth went dry at the sight of Root in the silk black teddy that did little to cover her lithe form. While it kept the woman's intimates covered its semi see through fabric did a good job at hinting at the delights that were hidden from sight. Her brain was still trying to process everything even as Root sauntered over to the bed and climbed beneath the sheets. Just as she finally formulated a response it was lost as the taller woman hiked up the nightgown and began kissing her way up the flesh that had so recently been concealed.

With a moan born more of pleasure than pain Shaw settled back in the bed and decided that she could handle being sick if she received this kind of bedside treatment all the time.

A/N: Well I hope you guys enjoyed this. Please let me know what you thought and if there are areas that need improvement. All input is welcome. Here are your next three options.

1. Shaw and Root have a heated argument. Inadvertently Root lets her true feelings for the other woman be know.  
>2. It's Shaw's Birthday and Root manages to find her the perfect gift. Of course Shaw has to show the hacker how much she appreciated the gift later that night.<br>3. Shaw is rather turned on by just about everything Root does. Of course Mr. Reese notices and has to tease her about it. Which leads to Shaw quietly admitting her feelings for the hacker unaware that someone is overhearing the conversation.


	6. Do You Know What You Do to Me?

**Do You Know What You Do to Me?**

**A/N: **Well it was close for a while there, but in the end option 3 came out ahead. So I hope you guys enjoy this. Special thanks to everyone who voted and gave their input on the last chapter. It really meant a lot to me.

Shaw was near the end of her rope. Here she was stuck in the back of a cab with Root. A woman that she was torn between equally strong desires of killing or fucking. Ever since she had first seen the woman after months of no contact Shaw had found herself feeling…off. Emotions that she rarely felt would well up within her and she would have a difficult time controlling herself. She still could not believe she had made such a fool of herself in front of the woman she had pleasured herself nightly to more times than she could count.

At first it had mostly been anger. Root had simply been a target for all the frustration building up in her from the tedious and monotonous cover she had been given. It had not been helped by that idiot of a boss of hers. The man had no skill in reading people. If he had then he would have known better than to stick her in such a prime location for foot traffic. She wasn't a people person and being expected to smile and make small talk with people left anger brewing and bubbling inside her. She could care less about their pointless prattling and the so called concerns they had. If they knew how close they came on a weekly basis to having their lives snuffed out by Samaritan, their own government, or the people the government was supposed to protect them from. Then maybe they would understand why Shaw couldn't give a damn if their boss was riding their ass, or if they had gotten into a fight with their significant other and needed some gift to make peace.

So seeing Root sitting in a chair sipping on some expensive coffee with her usual sexy smile had left Sameen Shaw seeing red. The only reason Root had walked out of there alive was from the promise of an actual assignment and because it would be too difficult to dispose of her body at this time of day.

As time went on old feelings began to return. At one point forcing Shaw to admit that she actually liked the woman's company and her flirtatious banter. She had merely ignored it at first, but like a song that can get stuck in your head Root's flirtations began to play over and over again in her mind.

She could still remember the first time she had let it get to her. She had been undercover trying to become a member of the number's crew of thieves. She had let herself be swayed by his smooth talk and had wound up in bed with him. But when they finally got around to fucking all Shaw could think about was Root. The way Root's eyes sparkled with mischievous intelligence when she played with giving out information like a cat with its favorite toy. The way the woman's clothes hugged her body leaving her imagination spinning as she worked on piecing together the brief glimpses of flesh she had seen with what she could make out underneath the clothes to form a mental image of Root naked. When she came it was Root's name that she wanted to cry out. She had managed to smother it at the last moment allowing only a quiet "Rooo" out that thankfully the guy was more than willing to ignore.

Things had only gotten worse. Now every interaction with Root left her legs trembling and her core clenching with need. She still wasn't certain if Root had bought last week's excuse of undercooked food for her sudden dash to the restroom. She had been forced to bite her own hand to keep from making any sounds as she pleasured herself to an orgasm there in that dimly lit and ill cleaned stall. Afterwards she had felt embarrassed at what she had done, especially with the object of her desire less than fifty feet away. Mortification at Root knowing damn well what she had been up to have allowed her to keep some control over herself. But it was oh so difficult especially when every little thing the woman did left her wanting to rip her clothes off.

It was also affecting her work. How could she be expected to do her job when she kept staring at the woman secretly? Every little thing she did was taking its toll on her willpower. Yet there was one thing Shaw hated most of all and that was being weak. Leaving her torn over how to endure this daily torture. Shaw knew she would need to do something soon. Her imagination had run dry a couple of days ago leaving her unable to get herself off. Her sexual frustration, something else she had rarely needed before Root had gone and made herself a part of her life once again.

Earlier that day she had been running through her exercise routine down in the team's subway headquarters when Reese had dropped in with Bear. He had brought Lunch with him, a full rack of ribs from one of the more upscale barbecue joints, and she had taken a break to eat. That was when her trouble finally reached its breaking point.

"You should know we've got a pool running." Reese had said casually as he dug into his burger before tearing some off and tossing it to Bear. The German shepherd had snatched the small bite out of the air and inhaled it with a single gulp before sitting back down and eagerly awaiting his next treat.

Shaw swallowed her bite of rib and paused before ripping off the next piece to say "Put me down for a $100." She was always up for a little betting action and had managed to win a couple so far.

"You are not allowed to participate in this one. Since you directly affect it."

Sameen Shaw paused and looked across the table at the man. There was a hint of a smile on his face and there had been traces of amusement in his normally quiet gruff voice. "Now I'm not so sure I want to know what the pool is about."

"Oh it's nothing to important." Reese said casually as he tossed some more food to Bear. He was definitely smiling now and reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. He played around on it a little bit before finding what he was looking for. Setting it down on the table he slid it over for Shaw to view.

The color drained from her face as she took in the collage of pictures displayed on the screen. Each one was of her with the same damn look of adoration and want on her face as she stared at Root. A couple were even little videos and showed her biting her lips or puckering up as if to kiss Root. She knew damn well that she had stopped breathing, but she wasn't sure if her heart had also stopped. Either way when she snapped out of her funk she lunged at the phone and crashed onto the table as Reese narrowly snatched it first.

The man was chuckling at her as he got to his feet. "I don't see why you're embarrassed it's actually kind of adorable."

"I don't do adorable." She replied gruffly. She was giving him a murderous look as she also rose and stretched her body to try and make up the height difference between them. "I also don't do cute, loving, or sweet. Now tell me how the Hell you got those photos or Harold is going to need a replacement for you."

"While this place is off Samaritan's radar it's not off the Machine's. From what Harold can tell She decided you two needed a little push. Apparently the Machine does bored now and is wanting to see some action or else she's going to change the channel. Since the rest of us have no desire for her to be prying into our love lives I decided you should be made aware."

"And just how much do you having riding on this?"

"Only $500.00 but that's only if you make the first move. Fusco figures the two of you will just explode and go after each other at the same time. Harold is of the belief that Root will act first and you'll go home someday to find her in your bed naked and waiting for you. Though Zoe…" He trailed off when he notices Shaw pulling a knife free from a hidden pocket.

Shaw fought for control. She sat back down in her seat and began flipping the sharpening the knife in an effort to reign in her emotions. "First off I am not happy that you guys are placing bets on me and Root hooking up. Secondly I am pissed that you all seem to have some a whole collection of me looking longingly at Root on your phones. I will admit that I find the woman somewhat attractive."

"Somewhat attractive? That's stretching it." He replied with a smile

"Fine!" She buried her knife in the table. "Okay I am infatuated with her. Is that what you want to hear? The woman's every action leaves me aching with desire and if not for my military training then Harold would have had to bail the two of out for indecent exposure because I would have taken her in a heartbeat regardless of the location! But you know what, it would have been worth it! The woman has a body built for sex and she goes around flaunting it like a rare sirloin steak! There is only so long where I can look but not touch! Hell I've already touched! I wore out the batteries in my vibrator the last two days in a row trying to get myself off! But no go! My stupid fucking imagination had to go and run dry! Though that is not my fault! If the woman would at least show a little more leg or a hint more of cleavage then maybe I could finally finish making a mental image of her naked!" The chair clattered to the floor as Shaw stood. Now she was striding towards Reese while still on her emotional rampage. "The woman has not one fucking clue what she does to me, of how much I long to run my hands through her hair! Of wrapping her up in my arms and refusing to let go! She just keeps on flirting with me like it's some kind of game! I swear if she was here right now I'd."

"You'd what?" A quiet voice carried over the sound of Shaw's ranting and cut it off midstream like pulling the plug on a computer.

Shaw noticeably paled and shrank down. Sweat was beading on her brow as her fight or flight instincts kicked in. While she always relished a good fight at the moment she wanted nothing more than to run and hide. Maybe then she'd be able to pretend that she had not heard Root's voice and had refrained from outright declaring her feelings for a woman who was far from interested in her out there for her to hear.

"Sam…just what would you do?" Root asked again calmly as she finished descending down the stairs and reached the platform. She was behind the shorter woman and took a brief moment to glare at Reese giving him a 'Go somewhere else look.' Which to his credit the man quickly accepted and with a sharp whistle to Bear he and the dog made well their escape before they suffered either woman's wrath.

Shaw turned and faced Root once Reese was gone. The woman of her dreams was wearing a dark leather coat that was buttoned tightly closed. It hung down to her knees where a pair of snow boots, coated in several inches of fresh snow. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. Her face was red, from embarrassment or the cold Shaw was not certain.

She had been unable to come up with anything to say and had only just managed a 'Hey.' Before falling into silence at Root's stony look.

"There is a cab waiting up top. You're needed for something tonight." Root said sternly before turning and heading back for the stairs.

Shaw had grabbed her coat and meekly followed the taller woman. Together they had gotten into the back of the cab and ridden in silence to their destination. By the time they reached it Shaw had begun working on an argument to try and sway Root from walking out of her life completely.

"Get. Out." Root said a hint of annoyance in her voice as she paid the man.

Once again Shaw got out of the cab. She stared down at her combat boot clad feet and shivered slightly as she waited for Root to finish her business with the driver. As the cab began to drive off Shaw took a moment to look around at the neighborhood. It was more upscale than where she had been placed for her cover, but a far cry from the luxury she had been able to afford before Samaritan came online.

As Root headed into the building Shaw followed closely behind her.

Once the two women were in the elevator Shaw licked her lips and mentally went over her prepared speech before looking at Root. She opened her mouth to speak but said nothing from the look of emotionless look Root was giving her.

When the elevator doors opened Root once more led Shaw down a corridor. They stopped outside of an apartment door and as Root fished out the keys she finally spoke. "This is where I'm living at for the moment. Or I should say where my cover lives at. We have some things to discuss." Putting the key into the lock Root headed inside followed by Shaw.

The shorter woman did not have time to even look at her surroundings before she was slammed into the wall. Her body braced from the impact and for the flurry of blows she expected to follow, but they never came. Instead Root grabbed hold of the sides of her face and mashed their lips together. Shaw let out a gasp of air which Root used to plunder the former assassin's mouth with her tongue.

Sameen lost all track of time as she drifted on an ocean of bliss. Both women were breathing heavily through their noses in an effort to let the kiss last longer. Finally it was broken by Root.

"You are a pain in the ass you know that?" Root said with a smile

"Wha…" Shaw began trying to wrap her mind around the situation.

"Wish you could have told me earlier how you felt, then I wouldn't have been so fucking horny these last couple of weeks. Though I guess it's nothing on you since my imagination has more than enough material for a lifetime."

"Wait…you…are attracted to me?" Shaw finally managed. Her mind now beginning to catch up to the situation.

Root tilted her head and gave her a look. "You didn't notice that I refused to flirt with anyone besides you? Geeze your more focused then even I thought.

"Hold on, how could you have been in the same boat as me?"

"Remember Tuesday when I needed to patch up that gunshot wound and refused to let you help?" Root began before falling silent and rolling up the sleeve of her coat to reveal smooth unblemished skin devoid of any wounds. "Melted tube of lipstick. I…needed a little alone time in the restroom from the sight of you working out." She said with a flush of embarrassment on her face.

"Is that so?" Shaw practically purred her face taking on a smirk worthy of Root. "I didn't know my working out had such an effect on you."

"It wouldn't have worked so well if you had worn a different outfit. You really shouldn't do a whole bunch of laps followed by pull-ups in a white tanktop unless you wear a bra, or don't have a soaked through shirt. Also…your workout pants are a little skintight." She paused and looked away.

"They are designed to be skintight." Shaw said defensively.

"Yes, but yours are a touch to small. Sure they leave you fully covered, but I now have a pretty accurate picture of what you look like underneath them. So you might want to get a bigger size, or start wearing underwear. That or next time you will wind up face down on the floor with your pants pulled down and my face buried between your legs.

Shaw smiled and put an arm around Root's waist. "Actually I wore that ensamble for two reasons. One because I wanted quick access in the event I got too horny and needed to get off before heading home. Second was because I hoped that you'd notice and take advantage.

Root smiled and stepped back a pace. She began unbuttoning her coat. "Oh I did notice and I planned to take advantage of that outfit if you chose to work out today. Hence why I wore this." With a small shrug she slid the coat off revealing pale pebbled flesh to Shaw's gaze."

Shaw felt quite overdressed but felt confident that Root would help her rectify that situation shortly. She drew the woman close to her and kissed her before working her way down the woman's naked body.

**A/N: Well I hope you liked this. Feel free to let me know what you thought. All comments are welcome so feel free to give me suggestions or things I can do to improve my writing. Below are your guy's choices for the next chapter.**

The day of Shaw and Root's wedding has come. Can the two women make it through the ceremony, or will they kill each other first? Inspired by this:

Shaw wakes up one morning to find her clothes missing. She pins the blame on Root especially when she finds the clothes the woman left for her to wear.

Shaw has been distant lately and Root becomes concerned. When she confronts the woman she finds out Shaw has had difficulty dealing with her emotions lately. Root resolves to help her out.


End file.
